Apparatus for displaying colored light



1965 o. F. SHALLENBERGER 3,164,053

APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORED LIGHT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1961 Jan. 5, 1965 Filed May 2. 1961 O. F. SHALLENBERGER APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORED LIGHT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A? [marl/1491270! 66 a by M Jan. 5, 1965 o. F. SHALLENBERGER 3,164,053

APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORED LIGHT Filed May 2. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig/A We? tror'nqgs 1965 o. F. SHALLENBERGER APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORED LIGHT Filed May 2. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent ()fiiice 3,164,053 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3 164,053 APPARATUS FQR DKSPLAYHNG COLORED LIGHT Grvil F. Shailenherger, 2512 Cle Elum Drive, Fort Wayne, Ind. Fiied May 2, 1961, Ser. No. 107,082 r Claims. (Cl. 84-464) The present invention relates to apparatus for displaying colored light and more particularly to such apparatus which is uniquely compact but yet displays a variety of colored lights in an interesting and dynamic display.

Colored light displays have been provided in the past wherein electronic apparatus controlled the energization of electric lamps in accordance with the generation of particular audio frequencies. In such arrangements, a plurality of different colored light sources have been coupled to an electronic frequency discriminator or filter which, in turn, was fed by amplified audio signals which emanated from a signal generator. Such a generator may be an ordinary electric phonograph or the like.

In this invention, electric signals corresponding to the audio frequencies of music are fed from a phonograph to an amplifier and then to an electric filter which functions to divide the total audio frequency spectrum into three or more different frequency channels which in turn are coupled to various colored light sources. If the light sources are considered to be green, red and blue, respectively, and the three output channels of the electric filter to be respectively connected thereto, then a band of frequencies passed by one of the channels will serve to energize one of the light sources. If a variety offrequencies are fed into the filter, and these frequencies vary among the three different selected bands, the light sources may be flashed on and or in accordance with the frequencies originally generated. Thus, the total apparatus may be considered to be a transducer whereby audio frequencies are converted into corresponding, different colored lights. I

It is an object of the present invention toprovide a compact apparatus capable of producing a colored light pattern on a display screen.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for projecting a variety of colored light onto a display screen at a low incident angle for producing a unique and interesting pattern of colors.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for projecting a colored light pattern onto a display screen,.colored light being directed onto the screen at a low incident angle in such a manner as to permit making the apparatus the ultimate in compactness.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a colored light display apparatus which is capable of being combined with a portable phonograph or the like in such a manner as to require only negligible space over that normally occupied by the phonograph itself.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of one embodiment of this invention wherein the carrying case is shown open, readying the apparatus for operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional illustration, partially broken away for clarity, of the light sources and masking element used in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional illustration taken along the section line 3+3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional illustration taken along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating in block form the electrical circuitry used in combination with the colored light display apparatus;

FIGS. 6 through 11 inclusive are fragmentary illustrations of various mask element shapes which are used in rendering different light displays;

FIG. 12 is a perspective illustration of another embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of still another embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a carrying case generally indicated by the reference numeral 29 having a cover 22 which is hingedly mounted thereon. In the base portion 24 of the carrying case is mounted a phonograph 26, an audio amplifier 2S, and an audio frequency filter 30. These components 26, 28 and 3t) are-conventional and will be explained in somewhat more detaile hereinafter;

The cover 22 of the carrying case is conventional, having a back wall 32 (FIG. 2), two side walls 34 and 36, respectively, and top and bottom walls 38 and 40, respectively. In the, cover 22 is mounted the light display apparatus which comprises a display screen 42 which preferably is fabricated of a fiat, stiff supporting member having the front surface thereof painted white or otherwise beaded so asto display and reflect light which may be projected thereon. This screen 42 may be constructed the same as ordinary motion picture projection screens.

The screen is made of such size as to cover the interior of the back walldZ, the opposite lateral edges 46 of the screen being disposed contiguous with the cover side Walls 345 and 36, respectively. The top edge 48 of the screen terminates just short of the top wall 32 while the bottom edge 54 of the screen terminates at short distance above the bottom wall 49, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4. The screen 42 is secured to the cover'back wall 32 by means of glue, staples or the like.

Inthe bottom portion of the cover 22 is positioned the light source and masking mechanism which comprises a compartment generally indicated by the reference numeral 2 and a chamber generally indicated by the numeral 54. A partition assemblygenerally indicated by the numeral 56 extending the full width of the cover 22 separates the compartment 52 from the chamber 54 and is composed of fiat strips of sheet stock of plastic, plywood, metal or the like. As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, this partition assembly 56 comprises a rear strip 58 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 60 therein and a front strip 62 which'is also provided with an equal number of longitudinally spaced openings 64 in registry with the openings 6%. I These two strips 53 and 62 are held apart by a pair of spacer blocks-66 located at the opposite ends of the assembly. The two strips 58 and 62 and thespacer blocks .66 are secured together in rigid assembly by means of two through bolts 68 at the opposite ends thereof which receive over the shanks thereof a pair of spacer sleeves 79, respectively.

Thechamber 54 is defined along the front thereof by a wall72 which receives the through .bolts 68 there through. The wall 72 is abutted on its inner sideby the ends of the two spacers '70 and on the outer side by the nuts 74 which are turned down tightly enough to secure rigidly the wall 72 in place as well as to clamp the partition assembly 56 together.

In each of the openings 64 in the partition strip 62 is mounted a tubular member or supporting sleeve 76 which is secured in place by either a friction fit, gluing or the like. In each of the sleeves 76 is fixedly mounted a bowlshaped light reflector 78, this reflector preferably being of parabolic shape which will provide a divergent beam of light. Inside each reflector 78 is mounted a lamp or bulb 80, the light-emitting portion extending into the reflector 78 so as to provide the divergent beam just mentioned.

In registry. with the opening pairs 60, 64 and in between the partition strips 58 and 62 are mounted a plurality of "colored, glass windows 82, 84 and 86 which are red, blue and green, respectively, in one embodiment of this inven tion. Note in FIG. 3 that there are two sets of such windows extending across the entire width of the cover 22. These glass Windows 82, 84, 86 in combination with the respective bulbs 80 are referred to in certain of the claims hereafter as colored light sources. It will appear obvious to persons skilled in the art that other structures capable of emitting colored light may be used without departing from this invention, and it is intended that the term colored light sources include these equivalent alternative structures.

The top portion of the compartment 52 is covered by a masking element 88 which is fabricated of some suitable sheet material such as cardboard, metal or wood. This masking element is provided with a series of longitudinally arranged and spaced apertures 90, 92 and 94 which are optically aligned with the colored windows 82, 84 and 86, respectively, already described. In between these apertures 90, 92 and 94 is a second set of apertures 96. As shown in FIG. 3, these apertures have particular shapes, the apertures 90, 92 and 94 being wedge-shaped with the apices contiguous with the display screen 42 and the remaining apertures 96 also being wedge-shaped but with the apices thereof being adjacent to the partition assembly 56. Preferably, the masking element 88 lies in a plane which is normal to the plane of the display screen 42.

Mounted in the compartment 52 is a mirror 98 which is set at an angle to incline downwardly and away from I the bottom edge 50 of the display screen 42. This mirror 98 is optically aligned with the respective windows 82., 84 and 86 such that the beams of light produced by the light sources 78, 80 will be reflected upwardly through the masking apertures 90, 92, 94, 96 along the path 100 which intersects the display screen 42 at an acute or low incident angle. As will now be apparent, the mirror 98 serves to reflect the divergent light beam emitted by the sources 78, 80 upwardly onto the display screen 42.

For the purpose of covering the chamber 54, a cover 102 is hingedly mounted between the side walls 34 and 36 of the cover 22. This cover 102 may be swung to an open position as shown in FIG. 4 for the purpose of gaining access to the light sources 78, 80. The components hereinabove described which define compartment 52 and chamber 54 may be referred to hereafter in certain claims as forming a housing.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the light sources 78, 80 are electrically connected to a composite output circuit 104 of the conventional audio frequency filter 30. The phonograph 26 is connected to an audio amplifier 28 which in turn is connected to the input circuit of the filter 30. The filter divides the audio spectrum into three different frequency output channels of, for example, sixty (60) to one-thousand (1,000) cycles, one thousand (1,000) to five-thousand (5,000) cycles, and five-thousand (5,000) to ten-thousand (10,000) cycles, respectively. These channels are identified in FIG. 5, respectively, by the numerals 106, 108 and 110. Channel 106, for example, is connected to the light sources 78, 80 which are associated with the red windows 82. The second channel 108 is connected to the light sources 78, 80, which are in registry with the colored windows 84. Thirdly, the channel 110 is connected to the light sources 78, 80, which are aligned with the colored windows 86. Thus, the respective light sources will be energized selectively by signals appearing in the respective channels 106, 108 and 110. I

In operation, the carrying case 20 is opened to the position shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the display screen 42 is positioned upright so that it may be readily observed. The phonograph 26 playing a conventional record generates audio frequencies which are amplified by the amplifier 28 and fed to the filter 30. The filter 30 in turn segregates the various audio frequencies as converted to corresponding electrical signals into the three separate channels 106, 108 and 110, these signals in turn being coupled to the various light sources 78, 80. If it is momentarily assumed that the phonograph is emitting electrical signals corresponding to the entire audio frequency spectrum, it will be noted that all three channels 106, 108 and 110 will energize the respective light sources 78, 80. This being true, the entire bank of light sources will be energized so as to emit red, blue and green light, simultaneously. If it is next assumed that the phonograph 26 is emitting signals only in the sixty to onethousand (60 to 1,000) cycle range, only the channel 106 of the filter 30 will have signals appearing therein, thereby resulting in the energization of the red light sources 78, only. Simultaneously, the light sources 78, 80 associated with the colored windows 84 and 86 will beeX- tinguished.

As a third possibility, if it is assumed that the phonograph 26 is emitting signals in the two bands of onethousand to five-thousand (1,000 to 5,000) cycles and five-thousand to ten-thousand (5,000 to 10,000) cycles, only the light sources 7 8, 80 associated with the windows 84 and 86 will be energized, the light source associated with the window 82 being extinguished. Thus, it will appear that as the frequency of the music played by the phonograph 26 changes, the various light sources 78, 80 will be correspondingly energized and extinguished in flashing sequence.

As explained earlier, the mirror 98 in the compartment 52 reflects the light generated by the light sources 78, 80 upwardly onto the display screen 42 at an acute or low incident angle. This light is passed through the various apertures in the masking element 88 thereby providing a pattern of displayed light on the screen 42. Since the apertures90, 92 and 94 are wedge-shaped, the pattern of light developed from each onto the display screen 42 will be correspondingly wedge-shaped so as to spread from an apex adjacent to the lower screen edge 50 upwardly into a corresponding wedge shape. In FIG. 2 is illustrated exemplary wedge shapes of colored lights as indicated by the reference numerals 112, 114 and 116, respectively. These displayed Wedges overlap as shown, thereby providing a mixing of the red, green and blue colors in these overlapping areas.

As will now be apparent, each of the wedges 112, 114 and 116 have the individual color red, blue and green, respectively. As the wedges overlap, a mixing or blending of these colors will result, thereby providing an artful and attractive display of colors. With music being played on the phonograph 26, these various, displayed wedges will fiash on and off such that a constantly varying color pattern of light will be displayed on the screen 42.

Since the angle at which the light impinges the screen 42 is indeed small as illustrated in FIG. 4, the light passed by the various masking apertures will strike the screen 42 adjacent the bottom edge 50 thereof and will extend upwardly to the top edge 48. This results in the entire screen 42 being illuminated with the display of constantly varying colors.

As will be seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the wedges 90, 92 and 94 which account for the displayed color patterns 112, 114 and 116, respectively, are optically aligned with the colored windows 82, 84 and 86. This leaves the reverse shaped apertures 96 as being positioned in between the various colored windows 82, 84 and 86. As previously explained, the light sources 78, 80 produce divergent beams, respectively, and this being the case, the fringe portions of the respective beams will be refiected by the mirror 98 upwardly at an angle through the apertures 96. This result in some illumination of the areas of the'screen 42 not covered by the primary color wedges 112, 114 and 116 and since these apertures 96 are not in optical alignment with the respective light sources, it is seen that the light passed thereby and which falls 011 the screen 42 can be mixed to provide a further fanciful and artful display of moving colors on the screen.

The structure as thus far described isso arranged as to be uniquely compact for fitting into the cover 22 of an ordinary phonograph carrying case. The longitudinal arrangement of the various light sources permits the display of a multiplicity of different colors onto a display screen of extended area which is fully open for observation. Additionally, since the apparatus is mounted in the cover 22, the walls 34, 36, 38 and 40 thereof provide a light shield which renders the colored display more visible. In other words, ambient light is shielded from the display screen 42.

The low incident angle 100 as viewed in FIG. 4 of the displayed light is important, since it permits the structure of the light sources to be contained in a small, compact structure and further permits the display of the light over a large, extended area.

While the masking element 88 has been illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 1 through 4 inclusive as being wedge-shaped, different, unique patterns of light may be developed by different aperture shapes as illustrated by the various mask .elements 88 appearing in FIGS. 6 through llrespectively.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12 wherein another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Like numerals indicate like parts. .For the parts shown, the structure is identical with that shown in FIG. 2 with theyexception that the mask element 88 is entirelyeliminated. On the display screen 42 adjacent to the lower edge thereof I have mounted a. plurality of elongated shields 118 which are V-shaped in cross-section. These shields 118 are mounted at one end on the front side of the display screen. 42 as shown and project forwardly into the path of the light beams which are angled upwardly from the mirror 93 onto the display screen 42. Theshields 118 are arranged in a row extending parallel to the elongated opening 88a and are spaced apart in vertical alignment with the spaces between the light sources 76 as shown in FIG. 2. In other words, the light sources 76 are vertically aligned with the spaces between the respective shields 118.

In operation, light from the respective sources 76 is reflected upwardly by the mirror 98 onto the front face of the display screen 42, a portion of this light being intercepted by the respective shields 118. The resulting display on the display screen is therefore rendered color ful, interesting and unique by reason of the mixed wedgeshaped patterns of different colored light produced by reason of the presence of the various shields 118.

In FIG. 13 is illustrated still another form of the present invention. Like parts indicate like numerals, and the structure is identical to that of FIG. 1'2 with the exception that the shields 118 are replaced by fiat triangular masking elements 120 which are attached to the front side of the screen 42 in the same geometrical arrangement as already described in connection with the shields 118 of FIG. 12. In operation, these masking elements 120 serve essentially the same purpose as the shields 118; however, a slightly different pattern of light is displayed on the screen 42 by reason of the particular shapes of the elements 120.

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for displaying colored light comprising 6 an enclosure having a hinged cover, said cover having a back wall and two opposite side walls, an extended area fiat display screen mounted on said back wall and having opposite side edges and top and bottom edges, a sheetlike mask element having one longitudinal edge disposed adjacent to said display screen and to said bottom edge, said mask element lying in a plane which intersects said screen at an angle of approximately ninety degrees, said mask element extending in a direction between said side edges and having a plurality of apertures arranged in a row in said direction, an upright partition spaced from said back wall in substantial parallelism therewith and depending from said mask element, said partition having a plurality of colored windows extending in arow between the opposite side Walls of said cover, a plurality of divergent beam light sources disposed adjacent to said,

colored windows respectively on the side opposite said back wall, and an inclined mirror positioned in the space between said partition and said back wall and extending between said side walls, the angle of inclination of said mirror being such as to reflect light from said sources upwardly onto said screen at an acute angle with said screen, reflected light from said mirror passing upwardly through the apertures of said mask element before impinging said screen.

2. In the apparatus of claim 1, said apertures being optically aligned with respective ones of said colored windows whereby monochromatic light will be passed by each aperture.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including means energizing said light sources, and means selectively varying the energization of said lightlsources in response to varying audio frequencies.

4. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein said apertures are Wedge-shaped, there being one set of apertures optically aligned with said windows respectively, the apices of-said one set being disposed adjacent to said screen.

5. Apparatus for displaying colored light comprising an enclosure having a hinged cover, said cover having a backwall and two opposite side walls, an extended area fiat display screen mounted on said back wall and having opposite side edges and top and bottom edges, a sheetlike mask element having one longitudinal edge disposed adjacent to said display screen and to said bottom edge, said mask element lying in a plane which intersects said screen at an angle of approximately ninety degrees, said mask element extending in a direction between said side edges and having a plurality of apertures, .a mirror extending between said side walls and disposed beneath said mask element, said mirror being inclined downwardly and away from said back wall, a plurality of colored light sources mounted in said cover and arranged in a row in the aforesaid direction, means forming the light of said sources into a corresponding plurality of divergent beams and directing said beams against said mirror at an angle area display screen mounted on said back wall, a sheetlike mask element disposed adjacent to said display screen and lying in a plane which intersects said screen at an angle of approximately ninety degrees, said mask element extending in a direction between said sides and having a plurality of apertures arranged in a row in said'direc tion, a mirror extending in a direction between said sides and disposed beneath said mask element, said mirror being inclined downwardly and away from said back wall, a plurality of colored light sources mounted in said cover and arranged in a row in the aforesaid direction, means forming the light of said sources into a corresponding plurality of divergent beams and directing said beams against said mirror at an angle at which the beams are 7 reflected upwardly through said apertures onto said screen at an acute angle with said screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein one set of said apertures respectively are optically aligned with said sources such that one aperture has one source directly associated therewith, each of the aligned apertures being wedge-shaped with the apices thereof disposed adjacent to said screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein one set of said apertures respectively are optically aligned with said sources such that one aperture has one source directly associated therewith, each of the aligned apertures being wedge-shaped with the apices thereof disposed adjacent to said screen, and a second set of said apertures being wedge-shaped and interleaved with said one set, the apices of said second set being disposed remote from said screen.

9. Appanatus for displaying colored light comprising an extended area display screen having opposite side edges, a sheet-like element having one edge portion disposed adjacent to said screen and extending in a direction between said side edges, said element lying in a plane which transversely intersects said screen and being substantially opaque, said element having a plurality of light-transmitting areas arranged in a row in the aforesaid direction, said areas having portions disposed adjacent to said screen, and a plurality of differently colored light sources arranged in a row extending in the aforesaid direction, said row of light sources being disposed on one side of said element, each of said sources including means for directing a divergent beam of light through a plurality of said areas and onto said screen at an acute incident angle whereby a longitudinally spreading light pattern is displayed on said screen.

10. Apparatus for displaying colored light comprising an enclosure having a hinged cover, said cover having a back wall and two opposite side walls, an extended area flat display screen mounted on said back wall and having opposite side edges and top and bottom edges, a sheetlike mask element having one longitudinal edge disposed adjacent to said display screen and to said bottom edge, said mask element lying in a plane which intersects said screen at an angle of approximately ninety degrees, said mask element extending in a direction between said side edges and having a plurality of apertures arranged in a row in said direction, an upright partition spaced from said back wall in substantial parallelism therewith and depending from said mask element, said partition having a plurality of colored windows extending in a row between the opposite side walls of said cover, a plurality of divergent beam light sources disposed adjacent to said colored windows respectively on the side opposite said back wall, an inclined mirror positioned in the space between said partition and said back wall and extending between saidside walls, the angle of inclination of said mirror being such as to reflect light from said sources upwardly onto said screen at an acute angle with said screen, reflected light from said mirror passing upwardly through the apertures of said mask element before impinging said screen, and electronic switching means for energizing and de-energizing said sources selectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,068 Blattner Dec. 27, 1927 1,661,757 Jones 1 Mar. 6, 1928 1,946,026 Lewis et a1. Feb. 6, 1934 1,973,454 Wilfred Sept. 11, 1934 1,977,997 Patterson Oct. 23, 1934 2,131,934 Burchfield Oct. 4, 1938 2,216,260 Wetzel Oct. 1, 1940 2,285,535 Schlett June 9, 1942 2,686,866 Williams Aug. 17, 1954 2,725,230 Weintraub Nov. 29, 1955 2,818,770 Cilurzo Jan. 7, 1958 2,950,382 Hatch Aug. 23, 1960 2,968,883 Jones Jan. 24, 1961 3,018,683 Way- Jan. 30, 1962 3,038,061 OReilly June 5, 1962 3,048,075 Wright Aug. 7, 1962 

1. APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORED LIGHT COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A HINGED COVER, SAID COVER HAVING A BACK WALL AND TWO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, AN EXTENDED AREA FLAT DISPLAY SCREEN MOUNTED ON SAID BACK WALL AND HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES AND TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, A SHEETLIKE MASK ELEMENT HAVING ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID DISPLAY SCREEN AND TO SAID BOTTOM EDGE, SAID MASK ELEMENT LYING IN A PLANE WHICH INTERSECTS SAID SCREEN AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY NINETY DEGREES, SAID MASK ELEMENT EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES ARRANGED IN A ROW IN SAID DIRECTION, AN UPRIGHT PARTITION SPACED FROM SAID BACK WALL IN SUBSTANTIAL PARALLELISM THEREWITH AND DEPENDING FROM SAID MASK ELEMENT, SAID PARTITION HAVING A PLURALITY OF COLORED WINDOWS EXTENDING IN A ROW BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS OF SAID COVER, A PLURALITY OF DIVERGENT BEAM LIGHT SOURCES DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID COLORED WINDOWS RESPECTIVELY ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE SAID BACK WALL, AND AN INCLINED MIRROR POSITIONED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND SAID BACK WALL AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, THE ANGLE OF INCLINATION OF SAID MIRROR BEING SUCH AS TO REFLECT LIGHT FROM SAID SOURCES UPWARDLY ONTO SAID SCREEN AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH SAID SCREEN, REFLECTED LIGHT FROM SAID MIRROR PASSING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE APERTURES OF SAID MASK ELEMENT BEFORE IMPINGING SAID SCREEN. 